


Nexus

by ReluctantlyGreyhound



Category: Supernatural RPF
Genre: Adorable Jared Padalecki, Adorable Jensen Ackles, Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Fluff, Fluff and Humor, Light Angst, M/M, Vaguely sci-fi, because i like those tags, but not really, don't read if you're looking for angst, i mean they're always adorable, it's very very light, just wanted to tag that
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-29
Updated: 2018-10-29
Packaged: 2019-08-09 10:04:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,199
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16447769
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ReluctantlyGreyhound/pseuds/ReluctantlyGreyhound
Summary: Jared has self-doubt, Jensen is cynical but not really (he tries), Adrianne Does Not Want Them To Have Sex In Her Waiting Room, and Stephen is shamelessly used for drama. Jensen and Jared are also soulmates.





	Nexus

**Author's Note:**

  * For [kelios](https://archiveofourown.org/users/kelios/gifts).



> Inspired by this post from @MicroSFF on Twitter:  
> 'Five minutes.  
> The timer on his wrist, counting down all his life to when he would meet his soul mate, had almost run out. Everyone said the timers could not be cheated, but maybe you could give fate a hint?  
> He entered the animal shelter.  
> "Hi, can I see your dogs?"'
> 
> Many thanks to the awesome babylxxrry for beta-ing! Y'all should really read her stuff. Comments and kudos will be deeply appreciated. Enjoy!

Nex·us - /ˈneksəs/ 

_noun_

1) a connection or series of connections linking two or more things; 2) a connected group or series; 3) the central and most important point or place. 

 

 _Five minutes._

The timer on his wrist, counting down all his life to when he would meet his soul mate, clicked towards zero at the same unhurried pace as it always had. It seemed like it was going faster, then slower, but Jared declared to himself that he was reasonable enough to know it was just his imagination. He also declared to himself that the entire situation was very nerve-wracking. 

He entered the animal shelter. 

"Hi, can I see your dogs?" he asked the woman at the desk with a nervous smile, “I've heard good things about this place and I just came to um...” He laughed awkwardly and shrugged. “I’m here to look at your dogs, I guess.” That last bit came out as much more of a question that he would have liked. 

He was not here for the dogs. He’d popped in because he had nothing better to do and now according to the timer and its rapidly dwindling digits, this was going to be where he would meet his soulmate. _Unless your timer is wrong, because of course a fact of nature would go wrong with you, why not? Why_ not _?_

Anxiety spiraled through his mind, like it had for the past week, month, months... and well, he’d been terrified in various degrees for the whole year, to be completely honest with himself. 

He swallowed thickly. The increasing nerves must have been clear on his face, because the desk lady’s forehead wrinkled with concern. “Yeah, sure you can look at our dogs. Hey, are you alright?” 

He coughed and managed a quick smile. Added a jerky nod. “Yes! Yeah, I’m good, thank you. Dogs?” 

She looked unconvinced, but nodded. “I’ll call someone up to take you back.” She smiled back apologetically and added, “I’m afraid it might take around five minutes-” He couldn’t help his involuntary jerk at that, and she frowned again at him, precise eyebrows drawn slightly down in concern. “Er, yes, five minutes sounds right. We are severely understaffed, you have no idea. Can I have your name, please?” 

“Jared. Um... Jared Padalecki.” He managed another quick smile at her and sat down in the waiting area hurriedly. 

________________________ 

_Four minutes._

Jensen took a deep breath and sighed, exhaling through his mouth purposefully. He had to at least try for calm. He’d be a dick if he didn’t try to make his soulmate happy, and he expected that a ragged and anxious guy did not a happy soulmate make. Or, at least, that’s what he thought. No one seemed to be able to explain what exactly a happy soulmate did make, but they all seemed so disgustingly self-satisfied about it anyway. He felt idiotic for being worried about it, but there was no way he could calm down 

His entire life had led to this. 

Like everyone’s life, sure. He’d seen friends and family meet their soulmates, tears of joy as they introduced each other to him. It was just a fact of life, close to him, but not his life. 

Not yet. Not until now. This? This was his own destiny, and so he thought a few nerves could be excused. 

He shook his head at the dogs and drawled, “All a big waste of time, if you ask me.” He leveled his gaze at Harley; the big mastiff stared back expressionlessly. “’Course, no one asks. I just don’t like the idea of making people spend their lives with other people they don’t know because our all-knowing doodads said so. Never liked it.” He shrugged helplessly. “Can’t say I’m not excited, though.” 

Adrianne came into view at the end of the aisle. “Hey, Jensen!” she called, “We’ve got a guy wanting to adopt out in the front, so whenever you’re done feeding the dogs...” 

He waved his hand dismissively. “Yeah, I got it. I’ll be out in a-” he blinked “ _Oh_. Oh, okay. Huh.” 

She raised an eyebrow at him. “I mean, we get customers all the time, so... is this unusual?” 

He grinned and showed her the timer. “Well, unless another guy I’ve never met shows up in the next three-plus minutes...” 

“ _Oh_ ,” she laughed and patted his shoulder happily, “Huh, would you look at that. Congratulations, Jensen, I had no idea!” 

He nodded and then his stomach lurched a bit at the idea that Adrianne had already met his (probable, almost-certain) soulmate. That he was _right there_ waiting for Jensen less than thirty feet away. “So... what’s he like?” 

She laughed again. “Oh, he’s adorable, you’ll love him.” 

________________________ 

_Three minutes._

Jared rubbed his sweaty palms on his thighs anxiously and tried to avoid staring at either of the doors. _Which one will he come through? What’s he going to look like? What if something goes wrong and he doesn’t come at all?_

He glanced at the haphazard pile of magazines on the table next to him. The covers announced loudly all the ways they could help make you more desirable – physically, of course, since it would be true social blasphemy to suggest they could help with actual romance. 

Jared directed a resentful glare at them. “He’s going to be here,” he said, “This guy- he's going to be here, and I'm gonna be as desirable to him as he’d ever want.” 

Inside, a small voice laughed derisively. _Bitch, who are you kidding?_ Another voice, a bit smaller, bit back. _The universe said so._

His eyes dropped to the timer for reassurance: the numbers inexorably going downwards like they did for everyone. _2:32, 2:31, 2:30, 2:29..._ Like they did for everyone, and everyone got their fairytale ending. 

(Except the people in those fantasy dramas where no one had a timer or anything like that; plenty of people didn’t get their happy endings in those. Jared had never liked those dramas, though, and they were a cheap excuse for angst anyway.) 

The desk lady popped back into the waiting room through the back door, blonde curls bouncing. She gave him a secretive smile. His heart thudded painfully with frightened excitement. _Does she know, is he here, can I see him...?_

“Jensen will be with you once he’s done feeding the dogs,” she beamed at him, and oh yes she definitely knew. 

“Jensen!” he felt like his heart was trying to pump itself up his throat. “Oh! Uh- that's nice.” _That’s a cool name, I love it, it’s got to be him._ “I’ll just keep waiting here, then. For him.” He smiled back weakly. 

Her grin deepened as she settled primly behind the desk. “Yeah, honey, you do that.” 

________________________ 

_Two minutes._

_Jared..._ Jensen turned the name over in his mind. _Jared, hm. Jaaaaared, Jar_ ed _._ “Jay, maybe?” he considered out loud. Sadie barked at him and he slid the bowl of food he’d been holding into her kennel. “Here you go, girl, sorry. Cute name, ain’t it?” 

Sadie didn’t appear to have any opinion on Jared’s name. 

He exhaled softly and leaned against the kennel. “This is... should this be so stressful?” He shook his head and smiled ruefully. “Ah, well. It's gotta turn out alright in the end. They say it always does, and what do I know?” 

_Don’t know much about this, not really. But who does? Do all the other soulmates have a clue after they get all chummy? What the fuck is love? Does my breath smell like dog?_

He rolled his eyes and shook his head at Sadie. “You’re a smart girl, solve this: Jensen + Jared = true love?” 

Sadie didn’t appear to have an opinion on _Jensen + Jared = true love?_ either. 

Jensen groaned explosively. “I just want this to be over.” 

________________________ 

_One minute._

Jared was very nearly hyper-ventilating now. His head spun, but he thought that could reasonably be blamed on the fact that there was less oxygen in the room than there was before and not, definitely _not_ because he was embarrassingly figuratively-pissing-in-your-pants-level frightened. 

_Do I have breath mints? I hope he doesn’t think my breath is gross. God, is that even possible for soulmates? Will he love me if my breath stinks? What the fuck is love about if that isn’t the case? Why the fuck am I so worried, it always goes perfectly, according to the entire world._

He swallowed and rubbed his hands again. When the front door of the shelter opened, he nearly jumped out of his seat. 

“Sorry, dude, I didn’t mean to startle you.” The newcomer smiled a friendly, white smile at Jared and gave him a small wave. 

Jared coughed and twiddled his fingers at the man in a weak excuse for a wave back. 

________________________ 

_Forty-five seconds._

Jensen quickly slopped food into each of the dogs’ bowls, working his way down the row of kennels. _Can you even be late for your own destined soulmate meeting?_ he briefly wondered, fending off a bad-tempered rottweiler by practically throwing the food at him. _Because if so, this poor Jared guy is going to have to wait a bit. I'm going to be the shittiest soulmate there ever was, aren’t I?_

________________________ 

_Thirty seconds._

“I’m Stephen,” the new guy said, “What's your name?” 

“Jared.” He kept his eyes on the door to the kennels. 

Stephen laughed and shook his head. “Sorry, I don’t mean to be interrupting anything.” 

“You’re not.” Jared tried for a friendly-if-worried smile at him. “Not yet, anyway.” 

________________________ 

_Fifteen seconds._

Jensen finally tossed the last bits of food to the dogs at the end of the row and exhaled in relief. _Fifteen seconds to make yourself presentable, Ackles._ He scraped his hair back a few times, grimacing at the smell. _Better hope he likes dogs._

________________________ 

_Ten seconds._

Stephen glanced around and then lowered his voice theatrically, raising his eyebrows at Jared. “Would you mind if I was?” 

Jared panicked and flinched away, mind spinning out of control again. _Shit shit shit, Jensen’s gonna come in and he’s gonna see this guy flirting with me and he’s gonna hate me forever crapshitdammit..._

The timer ticked toward zero at the same unhurried pace it always had. 

_Three._

Jared froze, all his emotions crashing down at once 

_Two._

Jensen took a deep breath and punched open the door. 

_One._

Jared’s head jerked violently up towards the sound. 

_Zero._

Their eyes met. 

_Nexus achieved._

_Soulmates matched._

“Oh-” 

“Well.” 

“I think-” 

“Huh, I think I get it now.” 

“Yes, that’s what I was gonna say!” 

“Well, you’re adorable.” 

“Wow, I think I’m in love...” 

“You’re supposed to be, dumbass.” 

“Nice. That’s classy.” 

“If it makes you feel better, I think I’m in love too.” 

“Dumbass.” 

They grinned at each other in unison. 

“I have no idea who the fuck you are, but back away from my soulmate,” Jensen gritted out at Stephen, not taking his smiling eyes off Jared. “You’re bothering him.” 

Stephen backed away from Jensen’s soulmate. 

Jared shakily stood up and took a step towards Jensen. “Wow...” he exhaled breathlessly, “Wow, it’s... it’s okay. It worked. I was worried.” 

“Hell yeah it worked,” Jensen clapped Jared’s shoulder firmly, confidence belied by the tears in his eyes. “Never had a doubt.” 

“I think you’re really hot,” Jared blurted out. “And your eyes are gorgeous.” 

Jensen laughed, spots of red blooming on his cheekbones. “Thanks, man. Your hair’s beautiful.” 

Jared laughed as well in sheer relief and scrubbed the back of his hand over his eyes. His head was spinning again, but it felt less like lack of oxygen and more like floating. Everything felt right. 

_This is what we were meant for._

The thought reverberated through both of their heads and Jensen surged forward the last few inches to kiss Jared desperately. Jared wrapped his arms tightly around Jensen and Jensen pushed closer, winding his fingers through Jared’s shaggy hair and grinning. He tugged gently and Jared nudged his lips against Jensen’s again, moaning softly in the back of his throat. 

Their lips pressed together firmly, wet and soft, and Jared couldn’t quite remember what it had been that he was worried Jensen would think about him. Everything was perfect. 

Jensen decided – as he slid his tongue into Jared’s mouth – that maybe their all-knowing doodads weren’t so bad after all. 

Adrianne whistled somewhere in the background and they broke apart, breathless. Jensen’s eyes shone at Jared, who couldn’t control the infectious giggle that burst out of him. 

Jensen grinned wider. “I don’t know what you were thinkin’, coming in here and kissing me like that. This is a dog shelter, not some seedy bar.” 

Jared raised his eyebrows and grinned back. “Oh. Oh, I see how it is. This whole soulmates thing is my fault.” 

“Sure, let’s go with that. Might have to punish you.” 

“And you’d just love that, wouldn’t you?” 

“No comment.” 

“Don’t no comment me, you-” Jensen nibbled at his jaw and he gasped. “Y- you- _oh_.” 

“Exactly. So, you wanna adopt a dog?” 

“Fuck you.” 

“Other way around, babe.” 

“Goddamn, I love you.” 

“Funny, I love you too.”


End file.
